Ange: I felt like writing…
A Captain's Troubles
Chapter One: Pain
They found him curled up in one of the locker room showers with his clothes still on.
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The water was near scalding and he remained unresponsive to their calls.
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"Give him air," yelled Hiyoshi, running to the front. He turned off the water and pulled the tennis player towards him. Wordlessly accepting a towel someone handed out to him he wrapped it around the slighter boy, attempting to dry him off as best he could.
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"Everybody leave," he ordered. "He wouldn't want people to see him this way." While his words didn't give the desired effect, his glare did so that even the tennis regulars were scurrying to head out back to resuming their practice. Hiyoshi's gaze softened when they returned to the person in his arms.
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"Ah, Atobe," he sighed wrapping him closer in his arms.
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But his captain said nothing and continued to leak tears out of the corner of his eyes as he continued to mouth one name into the stillness of the room.
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"Tezuka…"
They were at his house now. Hiyoshi didn't trust Atobe's drivers enough for them to keep quite and he needed to get rid of Kabaji somehow.
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That boy was too persistent to be healthy.
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He brushed off the concerns of his grandparents as he stumbled into the house, half dragging Atobe with him. It was only when he reached the privacy of his own room did he breathe a sigh of release.
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But it was far too early on his part to relax.
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He laid Atobe on his bed and quickly undressed him, his clothes have grown cold and he was shivering from the chill. He quickly clothed him in some of his own clothes and hurried down the stairs to wash and dry his garments. Running back to his room he found Atobe in the same position he left him in looking lost in Hoyoshi's pajamas.
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"Here drink this," he said pushing the glass he filled on his way up towards Atobe. But his captain's eyes remained blank and his face shut off from him and the world it seemed. "Drink," he barked out again obstructing Atobe's view with the beverage. Atobe slowly held it between his trembling hands and took a sip his face contorting from the taste.
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"Drink it all," Hiyoshi ordered not allowing him to set the glass down. "It'll help you trust me."
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"W…what is it?" Atobe asked faintly his voice cracking from his previous crying.
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"Don't worry about that," Hiyoshi answered, "it's an old family recipe."
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And so Atobe drank it little by little letting the drink warm him up and clear the fog that seemed to permeate his head.
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"Hiyoshi…" Atobe said finally taking not of his surroundings.
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"What," he countered, "expecting somebody else?" He immediately regretted his remark as he noticed Atobe's eyes dim once more.
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"Sorry," he apologized, "I just don't know what to say in these kinds of situations."
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Atobe said nothing but continued to nurse the drink that Hiyoshi forced on him. "Why am I here," he questioned after a long silence.
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"Well I figured you wouldn't want to be in front of preying eyes and the school and your mansion is full of that. My room is the closest you'll have to privacy."
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"No, what I mean is," Atobe coughed to clear his throat, "what I mean is why am I here with you?"
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"Out of everyone on the team, I would be the most obvious choice," Hiyoshi said.
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"Meaning?"
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"Well everybody seems to have a close someone," he explained. "Oshitari has Gakuto. Shishido has Choutarou. Kabaji even has Jirou even though they're such an odd couple. That leaves me with you. Despite all of my slipups you stood behind me. It was because of you that I'm going to be allowed to play in the Nationals even though I lost at Kanto. And besides beneath all your eccentrics and your riches I like to think that I understand you best as well."
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Hiyoshi threw a sidelong glance at Atobe, "so whether you like it or not all we have is each other."
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"Ahn," was his only reply.
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"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Hiyoshi said. "I called your place so you're staying here for the night and my parents are okay with it too."
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"Ahn."
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"And if you need anything just tell me," Hiyoshi went on trying to get a reaction from Atobe.
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"Ahn."
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"I tied locked everyone on the tennis team in the lockers so that they won't bother you."
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"Ahn."
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"We can do each other's nails later on tonight too."
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"Ahn."
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Hiyoshi gritted his teeth but refrained from exploding. It wouldn't be helping Atobe or himself if he did. At most he'll just feel lousy afterwards. Besides it wasn't entirely Atobe's fault that he was like this. In fact Hiyoshi had an idea who the blame laid on.
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The one and only
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…Tezuka Kunimitsu.
A/N: Let's see if this will be updated.